Malt-drum.



No. 643,955. Patented Fen-2o, |900.

F. KNuTTEL.

MALT DRUM.

App1icationfiled Apzj. 24, 1899.; LNo Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

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No. 643,965. Patented Feb. 20, |900.Y

F. K'NTTEL.

MALT anun..

(Applicatio'n filed. Apr, .24. 1889# (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRIEDRICH KNTTEL, OF CI-IARLOTTENBURG, GERMANY.

MALT-DRUM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,965, dated February20, 1900.

f Application filed April 24, 1899. Serial No. 714,276. (No model.)

ture of this air, as well as the intensity of the current, must becapable of regulation, and, second, the heating must be independent ofthe ventilation. These requirements are fulfilled in the arrangement ofthe drum represented in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1isa longitudinal section of the apparatus constructed according to thepresent invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view of a portion of the apparatusshown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the apparatus on the line3 3 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the said apparatus,taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures of the drawings.

The constructionof the drum itself is, generally speaking, not novel. Itconsists of a slowly-revolving closed shell or drum Which` for aeratingpurposes is provided with a perforated central tube closed at one endand a number of perforated tubes gin proximity to the periphery of thedrum,Which are closed at the other end. The Ventilating-air enters thetubes g, passes through the perforations of the same into the grain withwhich the drum is charged, and nds its exit through the central tube. Inorder now to enable special predetermined qualities of malt to beproduced, the tubes g are provided with heaters for the circulation of aheating medium, such as steam, air, or a liquid. These heaters f, Figs.1, 3, and 4, are connected together at the front end of the drum in sucha manner and are so arranged that the heating medium enters by pipe e,passes through the heatersf, disposed inside the outer tubes g, andfinds its exit through pipe h.

Fig. 2 shows in detail the connection of pipes e and h with the supplyand discharge pipe of the heating medium, which connection, as isclearly shown in the drawings, allows the whole drum to revolve,together with the pipes e and h and the heaters f.

The drum is mounted in a closed kiln, into which heated air can beintroduced through the inlet a, the moisture of such air being regulatedby mixing,for eXample,steam therewith. This air enters the tubes g ofthe drum, where it becomes still further heated by contact with theheating-pipes. The air then passes through the malt and finally escapesat h through the central flue lo. The sprouts of malt are thereby brokenoff as usual. In order to insure regularity in the heating andVentilating of the malt in the corners near the head of the drum, holescovered by perfoi-ated plates d are provided, as shown in Figs. 1, 2,and 3.

It is well known that malt on being cured and dried loses in volume bydesiccation, the proportion of the dried malt to the raw or green 'maltbeing yabout 1 to 1.8 or 1 to 1.9. For this reason it is impossible tocarry out in one operation the process of drying and curing in a singledrum because of the central tube becoming partially uncovered from themalt during the curing process and this again preventing the malt frombeing thoroughly and evenly ventilated. It is, however, of importance,particularly in small malting plants, to carry out the process in oneand the same drum, and this, I find, can be successfully accomplished bydividing the drum into a plurality of compartments, asin Fig. 1, Wherethere are two of such compartments. The division is made by means ofinternal partitions, which, like the head-plate of the drum, areprovided with holes covered by perforated plates d. The compartments allof them are in the first instance filled to the proper extent with rawmalt, as indicated in Fig. 1, and the first stage of the operation iscarried ouin all the compartments; but when during the progress of theoperation the volume of malt becomes so much reduced by shrinkage as toprevent proper ventilation then the contents of one compartment-for IOOexample, the left-hand end compartment in Fig. l-is emptied into theother compartment, so as to properly fill the latter, the compartmentthus emptied remaining so during the subsequent stages of the operation.

A regulation-Valve C is provided, Which is closed whenever onecompartment is empty. ViLhout such valve all the air entering the emptycompartment would pass out from the drum by the easiest path-that is,directly from the empty compartment into the central tube k; but byclosing the valve c the air entering the empty compartment will beforced to pass through the perforated plates of the partition into theadjoining filled compartment and to act upon and pass through the massof malt ltherein contained.

m nl are manholes provided with covers serving forcharging and emptyingthe drum or the compartments of the same.

The improved arrangement as here adopted is therefore suitable, first,for malt-drying by supplying a Ventilating air-current, either cold orhot,through the outer tubes and thence into the drum itself and givingsuch air-currentanydesired force,temperature, and moisture, and, second,for curing the malt by heating the product to any temperature desiredindependent of Ventilation.

\Vl1at I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A revolving drum for malting and drying grain comprising an outershell, a central perforated tube closed at one end of thedrum,perforated tubes arranged near the periphery of the shell, and closed atthe opposite end of the drum, in combination with a closed kiln, meansfor supplying the same with hot and moist air, and Yheaters arrangedwithin said peripherally-located perforated tubes, substantially as andfor the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

2. A revolving drum for malting and drying grain comprising an outershell, a central perforated tube closed at one end of the drum,perforated tubes arranged near the periphery of the shell and closed atthe opposite end of the drum, in combination with a closed kiln, meansfor supplying the same with hot and moist air, heaters arranged Withinsaid peripherally-loeated perforated tubes, supply and discharge pipesfor the heating agent, and connections between said heaters and saidsupply and discharge pipes, substantially as and for the purposeshereinbefore set forth.

3. A revolving drum for malting and drying grain consisting of an outershell, internally partitioned off into a plurality of communicatingcompartments, a central perforated tube closed at one end of the drumand extending through said compartments, perforated tubes arranged nearthe periphery of the shell and also extending through said compartments,heaters arranged in said peripherally-located perforated tubes and aregulating valve or valves C in the central perforated tube,substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

FRIEDRICH KNIVVEL.

Witnesses:

HENRY HAsPER, WOLDEMAR HAUPT.

